Generally speaking, you know what you'll get with a Tim Burton movie. There will be wonderful sets and cinematography for sure; quirky dialogue almost certainly and Johnny Depp and/or Helena Bonham Carter without doubt. Throw in some 3D trickery and we are left with a film that fans of Burton will love and everyone else won't hate.
Lewis Carroll's tale of Alice in Wonderland is one that has been delighting children for generations. Under Burton's eye it has been given a new lease of life as the original story is mixed with Alice Through the Looking Glass to give a film that contains the best of both magical worlds.
Aussie actress Mia Wasikowska takes the lead as the teenage Alice who flees an unwanted engagement proposal only to find herself falling headlong down a rabbit burrow and into a land of adventures. In an attempt to find out about her true identity and destiny, Alice encounters all manner of strange beasts and people who help and hinder her progress to her final goal: to defeat the legendary Jaberwocky and in so doing restore the White Queen (Hathaway) to her rightful position.
In a sumptuous blend of CGI and live action characters Burton creates a landscape full of castles, forests and swamps. His use of 3D is more in the traditional 'things coming out of the screen at you' type way rather than the more subtle attempts cinemas have seen recently. That said it works very well and the youngsters will especially love it.
It's with the characters though that Burton excels. Johnny Depp is the maddest of Mad Hatters. All orange hair and painted face, he is at one moment lucid and contemplative, the next crazed and malevolent. Always a joy to watch, Depp steals every scene he is in. Bonham-Carter gives the evil Red Queen a whimsical air akin to Miranda Richardson's portrayal or Elizabeth I in Blackadder and gets some of the better comedy lines, especially when she is addressing her 'Fat Boys' Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas).
The vocal talents of Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor all bring life to the CGI versions of their characters, which as you'd expect from Disney, are all of high quality.
So if you are looking for a fun night out for all the family you won't de disappointed, but you might be left with a feeling that you have drunk from the tiny 'drink me' bottle when you actually wanted a little bit more.
Rob Andrews
